The Panama Canal Authority is “moving fast” to pre-qualify bidders to build two new port terminals, with one-on-one meetings with operators set for the first week of December, its chief administrator said on Friday, amid the stalled sale of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison’s port stakes.
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In a pointed statement at a Houston maritime conference, administrator Ricaurte Vasquez emphasised that the new, board-led process “eliminates the possibility of political influences,” a declaration that aims to separate the US$2.6 billion project from the geopolitical frictions that stalled a previous port deal.
Without naming any bidders, the new port proceeded while a separate multibillion-dollar sale of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings’ existing port stakes remained stalled amid broader frictions between the United States and China.
“We are having one-on-one meetings with terminal operators and shipping clients probably the first week of December,” Vasquez said. “We are trying to get in the terms of reference in order to do pre-qualification. We are moving fast.”
He stressed that the authority’s board, not politicians, would make the final decision on the new gas pipeline and port projects.
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“Decisions are made by the Canal and the board. That distinction is important because it eliminates the possibility of political influences,” Vasquez stressed.